


One day, robots will cry

by takakoyaki



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, M/M, Not incredibly sci-fi despite everything, OT7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-29
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 13:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3251678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takakoyaki/pseuds/takakoyaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaebum is the owner of an android repair shop. Jinyoung is a prototype that gets abandoned on his front step one night in desperate need of repairs, and also quite possibly the best thing that ever happened to Jaebum.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _"The most important person to me, of course, is JB hyung. He taught me to live."_
> 
>  
> 
> \- Jinyoung, HaruHana July 2013  
> 

It’s raining, and they’re running out of options.

Jinyoung’s memory bank was already damaged to begin with, but his main power core started malfunctioning after they left the facility, and he’s been unresponsive for a while now. Seunghoon knows Jinyoung needs help, but he’s no android specialist--he’s just a mid-level manager at JYP Industries, in charge of overseeing disposals, and he can’t be away much longer without raising suspicion.

Using his phone, he hastily locates a repair shop within walking distance, and luckily it’s an odd enough hour to where the few people who are outside would probably just assume Jinyoung is passed out drunk.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers an apology to the boy he’s now carrying on his back, whose eyes are closed peacefully as if asleep.

The sign of the small but well-kept shop reads _J Project Repairs_. From the reviews on its webpage, it seems the owner also lives here, so if maybe if he left Jinyoung and rang the doorbell…

It doesn’t feel right, to abandon Jinyoung here after he promised to help him escape, but he knows it’s for the best. At the very least, an independent repair shop won’t be giving him back to a competitor like JYP Industries. Or so he hopes.

“This is as far as I can take you.”

Setting Jinyoung down carefully on the front steps of the shop, Seunghoon scribbles a quick note to the shop owner before ringing the the doorbell, a few times for good measure. He then retreats quickly around the corner, watching from a distance make sure someone actually answers.

A young man, younger than Seunghoon himself even, opens the front door after a little while. He looks surprised to see Jinyoung on his steps, naturally, but he at least seems to realize quickly that he’s an android. Seunghoon breathes a sigh of relief as the shop owner takes Jinyoung inside and shuts the door.

As he starts on his return trip, the sound of Jinyoung’s pleading voice burns itself into his mind. Employees of JYP Industries are given training on android ethics, of course, but he was never prepared for something even close to this.

Jinyoung was alive when they sent him to his facility for disposal. The company was going to destroy a sentient android.

 

\--

 

It’s the middle of the night when Jaebum hears the buzzer on the front door to the shop downstairs.

Business hours are long over, but the frantic way the bell is rung several times in a row makes Jaebum start to consider the possibility that it’s some type of actual emergency. He wants to roll over and go back to sleep, but…

Eventually he groans, drags himself out of bed reluctantly. Nora follows after him, meowing loudly as he pads sleepily down the stairs.

“I’m too responsible for my own good,” Jaebum complains to her as he flips on the shop lights, cracking open the door and peering out into the rainy night against his better judgment.

“What the…”

Propped up on the steps is a boy, or rather a young man who looks around Jaebum’s age, dressed haphazardly in clothes that are clearly too big for him. An android, definitely—there’s the manual switch hidden behind his ear, but he’s either in shutdown mode or broken, probably the latter if he’s just been left here. There’s a crumpled piece of paper stuck into the front pocket of the android’s ill-fitting jacket, but all it reads is ‘Can’t pay until end of month-- promise to send what i can. Please help Jinyoung. -SH’

Jaebum sighs. He’s not running a charity, but if he just leaves him there, he’ll likely get stolen and dismantled for parts or worse. Picking up ‘Jinyoung’, he goes back inside and lays him down on his work table, covering him with one of Yugyeom’s old blankets for now.

He’ll decide what to do about it all later, when he’s had more sleep.

 

\--

 

There is nothing but darkness and silence in Jinyoung’s world for what seems like an eternity. Then, without warning, it ends.

“Jinyoung? Can you hear me?”

Someone is calling his name. Jinyoung approximates that the voice is very close by, and opens his eyes. A human, male, mid 20s, is staring down at him, his expression registering as something like a mix of curiosity and concern in Jinyoung’s facial recognition database.

“Where… am I?”

His vocalization program still functions, thankfully, but his motor capabilities are at less than 5 percent capacity, so he can’t sit up, much less look about at his surroundings.

“You’re at my shop. Some mystery person dropped you off here hoping I’d fix you up,” the human explains. “I’m Jaebum. Your name _is_ Jinyoung, right?”

“Yes. Park Jinyoung,” Jinyoung replies, storing the new data into what remains of his memory bank. Either he can’t access the majority of it or it’s been forcibly wiped, but either way, he doesn’t recall much else about himself or what happened to him besides his name. He tells Jaebum as much, who squints thoughtfully.

“Can you check the rest of your internal systems? I repaired your core, but I’ve never seen an operating system quite as advanced as yours before,” Jaebum explains. “If we work together, maybe we can get you back to functional capacity soon.”

“Are you sure? I can’t tell you anything about how I came to be here, let alone compensate you for your work,” Jinyoung says. Even if his memory bank is malfunctioning, he still has access to basic social protocol manuals, and it’s obvious that Jaebum has no real reason to be helping him…

Jaebum knits his eyebrows, apparently troubled by Jinyoung’s statement.

“Well, I won’t know what we should do with you until we figure out more about who you are, and we can’t do that until you’re in better shape,” he says, patting the top of Jinyoung’s head in a way that Jinyoung registers as intended to be affectionate or comforting. Atypical human behavior, especially considering since Jaebum just met him, but not unwelcome.

“Anyway, don’t worry about that for now and just work with me, alright?”

“Alright.”

Jinyoung’s logic matrix is functioning enough for him to understand that he doesn’t have a choice in the matter anyway. But Jaebum has so far treated him with above average courtesy and understanding, especially considering Jinyoung’s physical disrepair, so perhaps the situation will be resolved without trouble.

Yes, Jinyoung’s internal processor confirms. It would be best if everything were solved with as little trouble as possible.

 

\--

 

The repairs progress steadily, but slowly. Jaebum is skilled, but he has other work to do, plus there’s no public record of any operating system similar to Jinyoung’s, so the majority of it is carefully executed trial and error.

As soon as the next day, Jinyoung is able to sit up, and most of his databases other than his personal memory bank have been recovered, but Jaebum mentions something about several of the standard common knowledge indexes for an android in Jinyoung’s human age equivalent bracket (approximately 24 years) being incomplete for some reason. Because of the unknown qualities of his operating system, it’s safer if they enter non-essential data manually, over time.

So, they talk.

Jinyoung stays in sleep mode during the day, then is awake in the evenings while Jaebum tinkers with his motor system, and they talk. Rather, Jinyoung asks questions, and Jaebum answers.

On one particular night, a small, non-human organic animal wanders in and out of the lab, making unfamiliar noises. “What is that…?”

“That’s Nora, my daughter… er, cat. Pet. She’s my pet.”

Jinyoung doesn’t quite understand, but it’s interesting all the same. “Do you live with any other humans?”

“No, but two of my custom androids live here with me. You’ll meet them when they come back home in a few weeks maybe, they’re at school right now.”

It’s slight, but Jinyoung notices that Jaebum’s voice changes a little when he mentions this. It’s softer, somehow, full of something Jinyoung doesn’t know how to describe. “What are they like...?”

Jaebum looks thoughtful for a moment as he runs another test from his laptop. “They’re both in a younger age group than you and still need to go to school, but they enjoy it. Youngjae is really smart and hardworking, and Yugyeom is gentle and sensitive. I’m sure they’ll both like you.”

“Why are you sure? My protocol manual only talks about humans, I don’t know how to treat other androids,” Jinyoung tells him. Jaebum only laughs, but Jinyoung doesn’t know why it’s funny.

“They’re people, Jinyoung. Treat them the same as you would anyone else,” Jaebum says gently. “Sure, androids are a little different from humans physically, but you’re also alive. See?”

As he speaks, Jaebum applies a miniscule shock to the nerve wiring in Jinyoung’s elbow, and Jinyoung’s reflex drive activates instantly; he bursts out laughing at the odd sensation traveling throughout his system, though laughing somehow feels even stranger.

Jinyoung notices Jaebum staring at him, and the facial recognition database can’t process his expression very well. He becomes worried. “Is something on my face malfunctioning?”

Jaebum shakes his head. “No, it’s just… your eyes crinkle when you laugh.”

“Is that bad?” Jinyoung is even more confused.

“Not at all,” Jaebum reassures him. He’s smiling, and none of Jinyoung’s manuals know why, but if Jaebum is happy then he supposes it’s a good thing somehow.

 

Eventually, Jaebum sets down his tools. “How do you feel? Better?”

There’s warmth in Jinyoung’s limbs again, though it’s still difficult for him to move them. But he is markedly improved. “Yes, it’s much better. Thank you.”

“I fixed your non-essential circulation routes finally, but it’ll take a little while for everything to get back to normal. In the meantime, we need to keep you warm,” Jaebum says, his expression full of concern. “Otherwise they might slow down, or even get damaged if everything stops up again.”

“I have plenty of blankets. They’re warm,” Jinyoung informs him, motioning to the stack of brightly colored blankets Jaebum covers him with after he’s put his tools away.

“I’ll just be upstairs, so holler if anything happens, okay? Even a slight change,” Jaebum says as he heads for the door of the lab.

“Okay.” Jinyoung watches as Jaebum flips the lights to the lab, then settles down to activate sleep mode.

It’s difficult. Most nights it’s easy for him to do so, but the sensors of all his limbs slowly returning to normal capacity feels too strange for him to completely relax, and he realizes after a time that his shivering reflex has activated. He knows this is a bad sign, but he is also reluctant to trouble Jaebum despite Jaebum’s earlier insistence that he notify him if anything happens.

His internal processor is still weighing whether or not to call him when Jaebum suddenly reappears in the lab.

“You’re shivering. I knew I shouldn’t have left you down here,” Jaebum says, rushing over to the table, and to Jinyoung he sounds angry, or frustrated, but he doesn’t know why.

“I’m sorry,” he says in an attempt to make Jaebum feel better.

“Don’t apologize. I’m angry at myself,” Jaebum tells him, scooping up Jinyoung in his arms as if he weighs nothing, though Jinyoung is at least as heavy as an average human despite being mainly constructed from superlight alloys. His words only make Jinyoung confused again, but at least Jaebum isn’t angry with him.

They leave the lab and go up some stairs to what Jaebum has mentioned is his living area. The hallway is small and clean, but Jinyoung doesn’t get a very good look at it before they go into one of the rooms. The new room is also small compared to the lab, but just as immaculately clean.

“Upstairs has heating and flannel sheets,” Jaebum explains, gently laying Jinyoung down on the bed in the middle of the room. Jinyoung’s logic matrix deduces that this must be Jaebum’s personal sleeping room.

“But this is your bed,” Jinyoung frowns. Jaebum has already done so much for him, more than any of Jinyoung’s protocol manuals suggest is necessary for a human unwillingly charged with his care. “I shouldn’t be using it…”

“It’s no big deal. I can sleep in the kids’ room or on the couch for a night or two,” Jaebum reassures him, covering him with sheets and blankets before sitting down on the edge of the bed. “It’s a good precaution against having to redo all that work we got done today.”

“I… suppose that’s true.” Jinyoung tries to relax, but it’s the first time he’s been out of the lab and everything in this room is so new—everything about it tells him something new about Jaebum.

“Still, I haven’t been able to do anything for you in return. I don’t know how useful I’ll be even once I’m repaired,” Jinyoung says aloud, and though he didn’t particularly mean to vocalize those thought processes, he’s curious. “Why are you helping me so much…?”

Jaebum reaches out and pats Jinyoung on the head just like he did the first time Jinyoung woke up. “Well, it’s not your fault you were left here, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Once you’re up and about, I’m sure I can find some odd jobs for you to do around here if you want to be useful, or I can take you to an employment agency if you want.”

His internal processor is hardly needed before Jinyoung makes a decision. “I’d like to stay here, if you wouldn’t mind.”

He thinks Jaebum smiles a little to hear him say so, but he isn’t completely sure. “I don’t mind at all. Now, try and get some sleep.”

Jaebum moves to get up, but Jinyoung’s reflex drive kicks in again, his hand reaching out and catching the sleeve of Jaebum’s shirt. It takes a few moments for Jinyoung to evaluate the reason behind the activated reflex, but eventually he looks up at a vaguely confused Jaebum.

“Can you stay until sleep mode activates?”

Jaebum definitely smiles as he sits back down, his hand closing gently around the hand that Jinyoung reached out to him with, radiating warmth that spreads throughout Jinyoung’s entire sensory network.

“Yeah, I can stay until you fall asleep,” he promises.

It’s only then, with Jaebum’s hand holding his, that Jinyoung is able to slow his mental processes and finally go to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The good news is, soon Jinyoung’s physical capabilities are all back at full capacity.  
  
The bad news is that even after everything else is back online, neither of them can find a way to restore his memory bank in the end. Jinyoung tells Jaebum he’s still happy to be able to move around again, because it’s true.  
  
But the empty, itching space in his memory bank troubles Jinyoung more than he wants to admit, and his protocols suggest it would be burdensome of him to keep asking Jaebum about everything. So, in addition to helping out at the shop, Jinyoung starts to read books.  
  
He downloads dozens of books from the internet, especially books on psychology, how-to books, and novels by human authors from before androids were common. He purchases printed books from antique stores where they still sell such things as soon as Jaebum lends him spending money, and reads them in the little attic space above the living quarters at nights when he has nothing else to do.  
  
“Hey, I have a list of errands I need you to do,” Jaebum tells him one morning. “The kids are gonna be home soon so I need to get a few things ready.”  
  
When he returns, Jaebum has started some sort of home improvement project. He carries all manner of things to and from the shop and living quarters, making quite a bit of noise as he works on whatever it is he’s doing.  
  
“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Jinyoung calls up the stairs for the third time in an hour.  
  
“Positive,” Jaebum shouts back down, again.  
  
Jinyoung’s logic matrix eventually suggests it’s unproductive to try and intervene when Jaebum’s like this. So he makes a pot of tea, then goes to read more of his latest novel while Nora purrs on his lap (while still keeping an eye on the shop counter, of course). Eventually, Jaebum bursts through the door, a wide smile on his face.  
  
“It’s all done,” he announces, grabbing Jinyoung by the hand and tugging him up the stairs. “Come on, you have to see this.”  
  
Jinyoung isn’t sure what has Jaebum so excited until they go up the second, narrower flight of stairs to the attic.  
  
“Let me know what you think.”  
  
Jaebum leads Jinyoung into what was once a dusty storage space transformed into a cozy, clean room with a patterned rug, a plush chair, and a futon stacked high with blankets and pillows laid out by the window. There’s also a nightstand with a reading lamp, and a small shelf full of Jinyoung’s printed books next to the chair.  
  
“It’s… it’s amazing.” Jinyoung stares around at the room. “Is this really for me?”  
  
“I noticed you were coming up here to read a lot, and with the kids coming home I thought you’d appreciate having your own space.” Jaebum shrugs. “I’ve been meaning to clean up the place for a while anyway. Do you like it?”  
  
Jinyoung doesn’t know how to tell Jaebum just how much he likes it, but in the end he settles for nodding as enthusiastically as possible.  
  
“Yes, I like it a lot. It’s perfect,” he tells Jaebum, because it is. “Um, and… thank you for letting me stay here. I don’t know how I can repay you, but I will.”  
  
“Yah, will you ever stop with that,” Jaebum complains, throwing his hands up. “I did this so you would feel more comfortable, so don’t worry about it, okay?”  
  
“You’re a really strange human,” Jinyoung tells him, but he can’t help but smile.  
  
“Well, can’t argue with you there.”  
  
Something about the smile Jaebum gives him in return is gentler than usual, and Jinyoung burns the image of it into his memory bank, as if trying to safeguard it from the fate of his other memories.  
  
Later on, Jinyoung doesn’t go to sleep, but instead sits on the futon and stares out the window into the night. Though he knows it’s futile, he tries to access the depths of his memory bank again. He wills himself to picture something, anything from his past, but the only thing that loops back in his mind, again and again, is Jaebum.  
  
  
\--  
  
  
It’s Jinyoung’s turn to watch the shop while Jaebum is out on errands. Business is slow today, so he’s thinking of picking up a book again when Nora suddenly runs to the door, meowing loudly.  
  
“Hey kitty, are you happy to see me or just the food?”  
  
A young man laughs as he nudges open the door with his foot, his arms full of groceries. Jinyoung is confused for a moment—Jaebum’s cat isn’t usually this friendly around strangers, but then he remembers that Jaebum’s custom androids were supposed to be coming back home soon. He hasn’t met him in person yet, of course, but Jaebum keeps enough framed pictures of them on walls and furniture in the living quarters for their appearances to be registered as vaguely familiar.  
  
“Oh! You must be Jinyoung-- is it okay if I call you hyung?” the other android smiles brightly when he spots Jinyoung. “I’m Youngjae, Jaebum’s little brother.”  
  
"Huh? Oh, of course." Jinyoung blinks, a little surprised that Youngjae introduced himself as Jaebum’s brother. He knows about adoptive families, of course, but he doesn’t have enough data to attach any specific label to his relationship with Jaebum yet.  
  
"And yes, I am Park Jinyoung… er, I’ve been helping out around here,” he says indecisively, hurrying over to assist Youngjae in carrying the groceries. “Jaebum told me a lot about you… he said you were at school?”  
  
“I’m home this weekend, and Yugyeommie will be back soon too. He’s out of the country right now,” Youngjae explains as they head up the stairs to the living quarters.  
  
“I can make lunch. Jaebum’s been teaching me a little,” Jinyoung offers once they reach the kitchen, anxious to be helpful. It’s not strictly necessary that either of them eat lunch at all, but meals are an important social ritual, especially when getting to know someone. “It’s your day off from school, why don’t you sit down and relax?”  
  
“Thanks, hyung. I can at least help you out, though,” Youngjae smiles, turning on the tea kettle before Jinyoung can tell him he doesn’t have to, and Jinyoung thinks that he already likes Youngjae.  
  
With both of them working together there’s soon a plate of warm sandwiches on the table, and Youngjae glances interestedly at the pile of books Jinyoung left on the spare chair while he munches on one.  
  
“Jaebum hyung told me you like reading, but I didn’t know you bought paper books,” he says, pulling one out and flipping through it curiously. “That’s really cool, hyung. Very retro.”  
  
“It’s a good way to pass the time, and I’ve learned a lot more about humans through reading,” Jinyoung says proudly. “I don’t know if Jaebum told you, but… we haven’t been able to fix my memory bank yet, so the more things I learn the better.”  
  
“I was sort of like that when I first started out. Everything felt awkward at first, but it was easy to adjust,” Youngjae reassures him. “I think you’ll be fine, hyung. You’re already a lot better at cooking than me, anyway.”  
  
Jinyoung smiles appreciatively. “Th… thank you.”  
  
Youngjae smiles in return, and they both sip their tea quietly after that, a comfortable silence settling over them. Jinyoung finds it hard to believe that Youngjae’s in a younger equivalent age group than himself, or that he ever felt awkward. If it weren’t for his bio-scanning capabilities, he isn’t certain he would be able to tell Youngjae apart from a human at all.  
  
When they’re cleaning up the kitchen together, Youngjae uses his vocalization program, quietly, idly, similar to the mysterious sort of way Jaebum does sometimes. Jinyoung never knew an android could do that as well.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“Uh, washing the dishes?” Youngjae raises an eyebrow.  
  
“No, with your vocalization program. Er, voice,” Jinyoung clarifies, and Youngjae laughs.  
  
“I’m singing,” Youngjae says, and oh, so that’s singing. Jinyoung’s read about it, but of course, it’s impossible to know what it’s like until you’ve heard it. It’s even more incredible than how his books describe it.  
  
Jinyoung doesn’t know why he seems a little embarrassed. “Why are you shy about it?” he asks. “Your singing voice is very pleasing… in my opinion, anyway.”  
  
He’s trying to make Youngjae feel more comfortable, but his praise only seems to make Youngjae shuffle about awkwardly. But he is smiling, and his ears are a little pink.  
  
“I can teach you how, if you want?” he offers. “Your voice should have at least the same capabilities as mine.”  
  
Jinyoung thinks about the times he’s overheard Jaebum softly singing to himself in the lab, or feeding Nora, or folding the laundry. He nods slowly.  
  
“Yes,” he says. “I would like that a lot.”  
  
  
\--  
  
  
“I really owe you one,” Jaebum tells his friend Mark over coffee at their usual café. It’s located conveniently halfway between the repair shop and the studio where Mark leads the dance crew that he and Jaebum joined during university, and one of the only places in town that serves coffee strong enough for both of them, too.  
  
“I wouldn’t have been able to surprise our Jinyoungie like that if you hadn’t helped me get everything together first.”  
  
“Ah, so he’s 'our Jinyoungie' now?” Mark teases him, a half-smile quirking his lips.  
  
“Well, he  _does_  live with us.” Jaebum only frowns in return, hastily changing the subject. “So, did you manage to find anything interesting on JYP prototypes?”  
  
“They keep their data pretty locked down, as you might’ve guessed,” Mark shrugs. “There’s always tons of rumors floating around, but nothing substantial to back it up.”  
  
“Well, they’re not the largest manufacturer in Korea for nothing,” Jaebum crosses his arms. “Sorry for dragging you into this, but I don’t want Youngjae to get involved.”  
  
“I don’t mind helping out. But you know, Youngjae really knows what he’s doing… I’d say he’s even better at hacking than me already.” Mark stirs his coffee thoughtfully.  
  
“I’ll save it as a last resort. It’s better if him and Yugyeom don’t go anywhere near JYP,” Jaebum says stubbornly.  
  
“Fair enough,” Mark nods. “Though… Park Jinyoung, huh? You know it's probably not a coincidence.”  
  
“It’s not an uncommon name. Then again, he’s so advanced that I don’t see where else he could have come from.” Jaebum shakes his head. “It’s probably going to be trouble down the road, but I can’t help it. I just kinda feel responsible for him, you know?”  
  
“You feel responsible for  _everyone_ , Jaebummie.” Mark reaches over and flicks Jaebum’s forehead. “Anyway, I think you owe it to Jinyoung to tell him about JYP. Maybe it’ll even shake something out of his memory bank.”  
  
Jaebum purses his lips. Mark is right; he shouldn’t be keeping this information from Jinyoung, but there’s definitely a part of him that feels like he needs to protect Jinyoung from JYP, from whatever happened to him before he ended up on Jaebum’s front steps, especially since it feels like Jinyoung is finally getting used to his new life.  
  
He exhales slowly. “Yeah, I’ll tell him once I've ruled everything else out. Hopefully it won’t affect him too badly.”  
  
Mark must know what he’s thinking, because he reaches over to pat Jaebum comfortingly on the arm. “He’ll be alright. He has you now.”  
  
Jaebum knows Mark says so to reassure him, but it makes him feel more pressured at the same time.  _What if I’m not enough_ , he wants to say, but he only sips his coffee and thinks it tastes more bitter than usual.


	3. Chapter 3

When Yugyeom returns from his trip overseas, he brings with him the smallest human Jinyoung’s ever laid eyes on. Bambam, as he’s called, comes over so often that everyone pretty much forgets he doesn’t actually live there, too.

“Bambam’s showing me how to make his specialty,” Yugyeom says proudly when Jinyoung comes down from the attic one day to see them both hanging out in the kitchen. Bambam is wearing an apron and standing on his tiptoes in front of the stove as he melts some butter in a frying pan.

Jinyoung blinks. “There’s only samgyupsal and a stick of butter out…?”

“I made this all the time at home,” Bambam explains as he throws some slices of the meat into the pan; apparently that’s all there is to it. Yugyeom is watching with rapt attention, and Jinyoung figures he might as well stick around out of curiosity if nothing else.

“Gyeommie, the trick is to not flip the meat too much as you’re grilling it, but kind of stir it around so the butter gets spread all over.” Bambam chirps, and Yugyeom nods like he’s just heard the word of God himself.

Jinyoung peers around Yugyeom’s shoulder until Bambam waves his tongs at him, impatient. “Hyung, do you want to try it?”

“Uh… sure.” Jinyoung takes the tongs in his hands as Bambam moves aside. He tries to put some samgyupsal in the pan, but it lands awkwardly, and some of the hot grease splashes out and hits him on the hand.

“Ow!”

It stings for only a moment. He drops the tongs reflexively, turning away from the stove to look at his hand.

“Hyung, are you okay?!” Bambam exclaims, running over to shut off the fire.

"I-I'm gonna get Jaebum hyung!" Yugyeom rushes downstairs before Jinyoung can stop him.

“I… I’m fine. Synthetic skin, remember?” Jinyoung tries to laugh, but he can’t bring himself to when Jaebum hurries into the kitchen, his brow furrowed in concern as he takes Jinyoung’s hand in his. It’s obvious there aren’t any burn marks, but Jaebum marches him over to the sink to run his hand under cold water all the same.

“What happened again?”

“Nothing. I’m fine,” he repeats at Jaebum, who stares at him steadily for a few moments before letting out a sigh. He turns the tap off and gives Jinyoung one last look over.

“Your skin must be upgraded compared to the usual stuff, too. Still… be careful.”

He’s frowning, and Jinyoung wonders if he’s upset him. It was only an accident, though…

“It barely splashed me at all,” Jinyoung reassures him. “I’ll let Bambam do the rest just to be safe.”

“Bambam was showing you how?” Jaebum directs his frown at Bambam, who only puts his hands up in a gesture of self-defense. “This is why I’m the only one who should be allowed to grill the meat.”

“But hyuuuung!” Yugyeom protests loudly. He makes much more of a fuss than Bambam, who only looks somewhat exasperated and hands Jaebum the tongs.

“Hyung, you fuss even more than my mom. Or anyone else, ever,” he informs him, before dragging Yugyeom off down the hallway, talking about watching the latest episode of some anime they’re following.

Jaebum doesn’t pay them or even Jinyoung any mind, singing quietly to himself as he starts frying the rest of the samgyupsal himself.

Jinyoung stands next to him, glancing at his own hand, but not where the grease splashed it. The place on his wrist where Jaebum held it feels warm, even though he let go a while ago. He doesn’t really know why.

Eventually, he recognizes the song Jaebum’s singing—it’s one of the ones that he likes to play over the speakers in the shop sometimes when he’s working. Jinyoung likes it a lot, too. He sings along with Jaebum, harmonizing the way Youngjae’s been teaching him, and Jaebum stops what he’s doing to stare at Jinyoung.

“You’ve been learning how to sing?” he asks, then smiles. “Ah, Youngjae must have taught you.”

Jinyoung feels himself flush. “I was curious because I always heard you singing. I never thought I could do it, too.”

“Of course you can,” Jaebum says, like it should have been obvious. He nudges Jinyoung with his elbow. “You’re already really good at it, Jinyoungie.”

“Youngjae said I was a natural,” Jinyoung informs him, grinning proudly. But then he remembers what just happened with his hand, and sighs. “Well, maybe it’s just because my voice program is weirdly advanced too, or something…”

“So what if it is? Humans are born with natural talents and tons of them get cybernetic implants nowadays. Besides, it’s not like you asked to have upgrades,” Jaebum shrugs, elbowing Jinyoung again. “I really like your singing. So don’t worry about stuff like that, okay?”

Jinyoung huffs and elbows Jaebum back. “You’re just trying to make me feel better,” he protests, but feels lighter somehow. It’s a strange phenomenon, how talking to Jaebum always makes all his worries seem so much smaller.

“I really mean it. Let’s sing together more often.”

There’s only a hint of a smile on Jaebum’s face as he finishes grilling the meat, laying it all on a plate for the kids to eat later. He cuts off a piece of it before holding it out to Jinyoung with his chopsticks. Jinyoung hesitates for a moment, but when he opens his mouth to eat it Jaebum pulls it away, just out of reach.

“Yah, seriously!” Jinyoung laughs and slaps Jaebum’s arm before Jaebum finally feeds him the samgyupsal, still snickering a little as he does.

It tastes amazing, the taste of the butter making it even richer and more delicious, and Jinyoung can’t help but smile contentedly as he chews it. Jaebum stares at him while he does so, making him feel self-conscious.

“Uh, is something wrong with my face?”

Jaebum smiles and shakes his head. “No, I was just… I haven’t seen your eyes get all crinkly like that. Not for a while, anyway.”

Jinyoung remembers very well the first time Jaebum mentioned his eyes. It’s one of his very first memories, and he treasures it. He’d rather not tell Jaebum that, though, so he scoffs and nudges him with his foot. “It’s only because you keep teasing me.”

“In my defense… you’re fun to tease.” Jaebum nudges him right back, but he becomes quiet and thoughtful again for a moment as he turns on the tap to wash the dishes. He doesn’t have to ask for Jinyoung to stand next to him to help dry them off—it’s one of their little routines, lately.

“You’re not still worried about it, are you?” Jaebum says after a while, as he’s diligently scrubbing the bottom of the frying pan. “That your skin doesn’t burn, I mean.”

Jinyoung hesitates. It does make him feel a little weird, but Jaebum’s the one who told him not to worry about it. He shakes his head. “I’m not worried.”

“Good.” Jaebum smirks at him as he hands over the wet dishes. “If you get down on yourself, I’ll just lecture you until you snap out of it.”

Jinyoung smirks back. “Curse you and your logic, Im Jaebum.”

They keep washing the dishes like that, not talking much, but when Jaebum starts singing again Jinyoung sings along too.  The size of the sink makes it necessary for the two of them to stand with their sides basically pressed together, and really Jaebum could probably be going about it just as efficiently by himself. But Jaebum makes room for him anyway, like he always does, and the space he leaves feels like it fits just right.

 

\--

 

It’s been months since Jinyoung officially started as a resident of _J Project Repairs_ when he discovers that there’s an entire section of the building that he didn’t know about.

He’s sweeping the shop floor one afternoon when he can hear what sounds like a loud conversation coming from somewhere inside the shop.

“Kim Yugyeom! Choi Youngjae! Are you guys home already?”

No answer. He can’t figure out where the voices are coming from until he opens a door in a corner of the shop that he always assumed went to a spare closet or something. Instead there’s a staircase leading down to a small hallway, and at the end of that another door which opens into a brightly lit room with wood paneled floors and a wall that’s made entirely of one large mirror.

“What are you guys doing down here?”

“What does it look like, hyung?” Yugyeom says sarcastically from the other side of the room. He and his friend Jackson are standing on a blue padded mat, apparently in the middle of discussing something.

“I’m teaching him some sweet moves!” Jackson says proudly, hands on his hips.

Yugyeom rolls his eyes. “Jackson hyung’s teaching me how to do a flip.”

“A flip…?” Jinyoung is confused. He knows what flip means, but he doesn’t know what entails ‘doing a flip.’

“Yeah! Like this.”

Jackson points to himself, then proceeds to launch his entire body in the air, his feet going over his head for a full 360 degree spin until he lands on his feet again, all in the blink of an eye. It’s by far the strangest thing Jinyoung’s seen anyone do since he woke up, but incredible in a way he can’t describe.

“Cool, right?” After straightening up again, Jackson grins. Human or android, Jackson is definitely the most excitable person Jinyoung has met so far, but he likes him. He’s very… straightforward.

“It was really cool. My eyes couldn’t keep up,” Jinyoung nods. “So, Yugyeommie can learn to do that too?”

Yugyeom’s expression is determined. “It’s harder for me since I’m tall, but I’ll get it eventually.”

“That’s our dancing machine!” Jackson throws his arms around Yugyeom, who shakes him off with a vaguely pressed look. “He wants to learn some new moves before he officially joins me and Mark’s dance crew even though I told him he doesn’t have to.”

“Uh… so you guys are just dancing down here?” Jinyoung tilts his head. With the mats out, it does seem like some type of practice room, but Jaebum’s never mentioned it to him before.

“Yeah, Youngjae hyung and I convinced Jaebum hyung to convert the basement into a practice studio a while ago, but I don't think he uses it when we're at school,” Yugyeom says sheepishly. “Most of the space is for practicing dance, but there’s a room for Youngjae hyung’s keyboard practice too.”

Jinyoung glances around the room again in wonder. “I’ve never gotten to see you guys dance. Can I stay and watch?”

Yugyeom only shifts on his feet a little and hums indecisively, but Jackson practically explodes with enthusiasm.

“That’s a great idea! I think we’ll do even better with an audience.” He rushes over and hits a panel on one of the devices in the corner of the room, and music with a loud, fast beat starts playing.

Jinyoung sits down against the wall and watches both Yugyeom and Jackson start to dance, not to any sort of routine, just moving freely with the rhythm of the song. Even though Yugyeom is an android like Jinyoung, his motions look every bit as natural as Jackson’s, like he’s right at home when he dances, and the odd feeling Jinyoung sometimes gets when he hears Youngjae singing well up inside him again. It’s not that he doesn’t like watching or listening, because he does, and he’s proud of them, but…

“This all looks like fun,” comes a voice from nearby, interrupting Jinyoung’s thoughts.

The door opens and Jaebum comes in, his friend Mark in tow. As soon as Jackson and Yugyeom see Mark, they burst out in a chorus of “Mark hyung is here!” and zoom towards him, covering him in sweaty hugs.

“Heh, nice to see you guys too.” Mark snickers. He’s unsuccessful at wriggling free from both their grasps, but it’s also kind of obvious he isn’t trying too hard.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Jaebum snorts at them, then turns to offer a hand to help Jinyoung to his feet. Jinyoung takes his hand and stands up, but he’s confused.

“I was only going to watch…?”

“You don’t have to watch from there. I’ll show you some moves if you want.” Jaebum smiles, and Jinyoung wonders if he has some type of secret ability to read minds, or at least his mind.

“Can you do a flip?” Jinyoung asks, because that’s the only thing he knows with a name so far.

“That’s Mark and Jackson’s thing. I’m a little different,” Jaebum explains, a grin making its way onto his face as he takes Jinyoung’s hand again and leads him to the other side of the room (though Jinyoung can feel three very unsubtle pairs of eyes following them as they go).

“Okay, show me.” Jinyoung nods enthusiastically, ignoring the giggles from Jackson and Yugyeom.

Jaebum changes the music to a slightly different song, still upbeat but a little more retro-sounding, and he starts to dance too. It’s a lot different than Jackson and Yugyeom’s dancing, not quite as flashy in the beginning, his feet moving side to side as he gets a feel for the music. Suddenly, he drops to the ground and swings his feet in the air before spinning rapidly in place, then moving into a series of complex steps while balancing on one arm. Jinyoung thought Jackson’s flip was incredible, but this is something else entirely.

“Wooo! JB hyung in the hoooouse!” Jackson calls when Jaebum sits down on the floor, out of breath but with the biggest smile Jinyoung’s ever seen on him.

“JB?” Jinyoung peers at him curiously, while Mark and Yugyeom snicker along with Jackson.

“My old b-boy name,” Jaebum glares at the other three, before shrugging at Jinyoung. “I quit when I opened the shop so I’m pretty rusty, but anyway, that’s the sort of dancing I used to do.”

“It’s amazing,” Jinyoung says honestly. “I, uh… I don’t think I could learn how to do that, but… maybe something easier?”

Jaebum shrugs. “I think you could definitely learn it eventually, but first let’s start off with something simple.”

The music changes again, and the five of them spend the rest of the afternoon dancing. Or rather, Jackson and Mark help Yugyeom work on his backflip, and Jaebum stands next to Jinyoung, walking him through some basic dance steps, but Jinyoung gets so absorbed in it he doesn’t notice the time pass by.

When they all drag themselves back up the stairs, exhausted and sweaty, Youngjae and Bambam are sipping tea calmly at the table, a pitcher of iced lemonade and piles of grilled samgyupsal and pickled vegetables and rice ready for them to descend upon. All seven of them cram into the tiny kitchen, talking and eating and laughing as they reach across each other, elbowing each other, nearly knocking glasses over several times.

Jinyoung somehow ends up squished between Jackson and Yugyeom as they both wage war over the same piece of meat, and even though it’s uncomfortable it’s kind of fun, too. His eyes glance upward to meet Jaebum’s across the table, and the secret smile they share feels even newer and more mysterious than the very first time Jinyoung remembers opening his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (the part where Jaebum teases Jinyoung with the samgyupsal is a little [too real](http://jackandjael.tumblr.com/post/84263845807/some-things-never-change).)


	4. Chapter 4

Jinyoung knows, objectively, that it’s a bad idea to start a fresh book before bed.

Every single time, he always ends up getting engrossed in it and staying up way too late, so he tries his best not to, but it inevitably happens sometimes anyway. He’s down in the kitchen late on one of those nights for a fresh mug of tea when he hears something strange—not the cat, for once, but a person.

He goes down the hallway, cracks open the door to Yugyeom and Youngjae’s room.

“Yugyeommie…?”

Just like he suspected, Yugyeom is sitting on the edge of his bed, crying softly. Youngjae is snoring loudly and though Jinyoung doesn’t think he’ll wake up if they talk in there he leads Yugyeom out into the kitchen anyway, wrapping a blanket around him and pouring him some tea. They both sit down and Jinyoung puts his arm around Yugyeom’s shoulders.

“Tell hyung what’s wrong. Does it hurt somewhere?”

Yugyeom shakes his head. He sniffles, wipes his tears with his sleeve. “I’m just… sad about Bambam.”

“Did something happen?”

“He has to go back to Thailand after the school year’s over.” He sighs heavily. “I’ve been trying not to think about it, but he got a call from his mom earlier, and it just kind of… hit me.”

Jinyoung frowns sympathetically. “You two are really good friends.”

“We, um, sort of hated each other at first,” Yugyeom admits shyly. It’s the first Jinyoung’s heard of that.

“Really…? Like actually hated?” he asks, skeptical.

Yugyeom nods again, pursing his lips.

“We got put in the same group for a project, and we used to argue all the time. But when some of the other kids complained about me going to school with humans, he… stood up for me,” he explains to Jinyoung, his hands balling into fists at the memory. “He said it didn’t matter if people were androids or humans, and it just… it stuck with me. And now he’s my best friend in the whole world.”

“It’s okay,” Jinyoung says soothingly. He thinks he understands a little now. He pulls Yugyeom into a hug, letting his head rest on Jinyoung’s shoulder.

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” he repeats, rubbing Yugyeom’s back gently. Yugyeom’s lip trembles, and fresh tears spill onto Jinyoung’s shirt.

“I… I just don’t want him to go.” Yugyeom sobs like his heart is broken, and it feels like Jinyoung’s heart is breaking too.

“I’m sorry,” he says softly, because he doesn’t know what other words he can give to console him.

He lets Yugyeom cry as much as he wants, patting his back and handing him more tissues occasionally. When he’s finally cried himself out, the subject unexpectedly changes to Jinyoung.

“Hyung, you aren’t… going anywhere, are you?” Yugyeom asks, wiping away the last of his tears.

Jinyoung raises his eyebrows, genuinely confused.  “I hope not? Why would I go anywhere?”

“I dunno, I just sort of think Jaebum hyung is scared that something will happen and you’ll have to go away,” Yugyeom confesses, staring at his lap. “He… told me and Youngjae hyung about how he first found you all broken down, and I got kind of scared too.”

There’s a silence as Jinyoung tries to sort out his feelings. He’d gotten used to not thinking about it anymore, but it’s true that they still don’t really know where he came from or why he was left here. What if something happens and he has to leave, someday?

He shakes his head vigorously, as if trying to clear out his doubts.

“I won’t leave. Whatever happened to me before, it doesn’t matter,” he says, half to himself. “My life is here with you guys. As long as you all want me here, I’m going to stay.”

Jinyoung isn’t sure how convinced he feels even after saying it out loud, but Yugyeom seems relieved at least.

“Oh, that’s good! I mean, not that Jaebum hyung doesn’t take good care of us, but it’s nicer with both of you,” Yugyeom tells him, all smiles even though his eyes are red from crying still. “It’s like I really have a mom and a dad now.”

“Oh, so I’m the mom?” Jinyoung laughs and pinches Yugyeom’s cheek, but to be perfectly honest he doesn’t technically oppose the idea. “Aigoo, to think I already have such a troublesome son.”

Yugyeom laughs at this, and despite his worries Jinyoung laughs again with him. When they finally decide to go back to sleep, Jinyoung goes and tucks Yugyeom in himself, as if to solidify their little inside joke.

“Good night, _Mom_.” Yugyeom grins up at him from his pillow.

“Good night, Gyeommie.”

Jinyoung returns the smile, stroking Yugyeom’s hair gently before turning out the lights. Even if they’re just playing around, it still feels nice, like they’re a family. Maybe, he allows himself to think as he heads back up to his attic, they really are one.

 

\--

 

Jinyoung doesn’t know where he is.

He’s strapped to a table similar to the work table in Jaebum’s lab, but the lights are much brighter, almost painfully so. He’s unable to move, or even look anywhere but straight ahead. Muffled voices are coming from nearby, but most of the words don’t make any sense to him.

“The programming was overwritten? With no input…?”

“Yes. It appears to be an error in the main database that occurred when we installed programming to enable transfers into the memory bank…”

There’s a frustrated sigh.

“Make sure you debug it, and fast. We’re too late in testing to start from scratch, and CEO Park has high expectations for this project. We can’t afford any more defective models.”

 

 

It ends as suddenly as it began.

Jinyoung bolts upright, disoriented for a few moments before he fully processes what just happened.

“A dream…?”

He knew on some level he should be capable of having dreams, but he always assumed he wouldn’t be able to. When he closes his eyes and goes to sleep at nights, it’s only ever been completely blank up until now, and the shock won’t wear off even when he tries to lie back down.

The sun is only barely rising when Jinyoung eventually gives up on falling back asleep, and goes down to the kitchen to make himself some hot milk. He’s read before that it helps with relaxation, and he might as well try it.

Jaebum is already sitting at the table, sipping coffee and scrolling through something on his tablet computer. His hair is slightly messy still, and when he smiles at Jinyoung it makes Jinyoung’s chest feel strange.

“You’re up early,” he notes as Jinyoung goes about heating up some milk. “Didn’t sleep too well?”

“I… had a dream. I’ve never had one before,” Jinyoung confesses as he sits down across from him. “I don’t know for sure, but I think… it was from my memory bank.”

“You mean it was from your past?” Jaebum sets down his mug, immediately concerned.

“I feel like it was.” Jinyoung isn’t sure he wants to explain the whole thing right this second. “Um… you’re not always up this early, are you?”

“Me? Not usually, I was just going over some stuff Mark sent me.” Jaebum holds up his tablet, then sets it down in favor of reaching out to cover Jinyoung’s hand with his own.

“If you don’t want to talk about it now, it’s fine, but I… was going to tell you I have some leads on where you came from,” he says after a moment. “I wanted to research it first to make sure I didn’t give you any false hope, but I think I can at least give you a really basic idea. If you’re ready.”

Jinyoung stares at the table. Now that he’s seen the first glimpse of his past, he feels reluctant to know more, yet more curious at the same time…  Eventually, he nods.

“Tell me everything you can.”

“Park Jinyoung is what ‘JYP’ stands for,” Jaebum begins after a deep breath. “JYP Industries is Korea’s largest robotics manufacturer. I just finished some comparisons and there aren’t many others that would have the resources to make a prototype as advanced as you, so… you’re almost definitely related to JYP somehow, I just don’t know how yet.”

He reaches out and squeezes both of Jinyoung’s hands in his, looking him straight in the eye. “I want to make sure you know that this doesn’t actually change anything. You’re still our Jinyoungie, okay?”

“O… okay.”

Jinyoung purses his lips, taking in all the information. A mess of emotions is tangled inside him, and Jaebum’s hands around his are as warm as ever, making him feel better and worse all at the same time.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jaebum doesn’t seem convinced. “I can watch the shop by myself today if you need to rest and think about things.”

“I…” Jinyoung hesitates. “I think I might rest today, yeah. Sorry.”

“Don’t be, Youngjae and Yugyeom can help out today.” Jaebum shakes his head. “I’m the one who's sorry I dumped all that on you, but if you’re starting to remember...”

“No, it’s better this way,” Jinyoung says quickly, getting up from the table. He’s glad Jaebum told him the truth, but he also feels like if they talk about this any longer he might break down in front of him.

He goes back up to the attic for the rest of the day, staring blankly out the window as the sky changes colors. This doubt, this ache in his chest is what he gets for trying to live a normal life, to forget even for a little while that he wasn’t human, or even a normal android. The one thing he thought he had from his past, his name, might not even be his after all. The voices in his dream whispered to him that he was defective, a failed experiment.

Jinyoung has experienced something like sadness many times since he woke up, but he’s never actually cried before. Yugyeom cried when he was sad, the characters in his books cry when they’re sad, and it’s there in his reflex drive if he wants to manually activate it, so he does. He lies down and cries bitterly into his pillow until he’s too exhausted to do anything besides slip back into sleep mode and hope that nothing but darkness overtakes him.


	5. Chapter 5

“Jinyoung-ah?”

There’s no answer again as Jaebum stands at the top of the stairs to the attic, knocking quietly on the door.

He lets out a long sigh. Of course Jinyoung feels terrible after learning about JYP, especially if he’s started remembering things. Jaebum knows it can’t really be helped, but he wants to believe there's still something he can do for Jinyoung.

When he goes back down the stairs and into the kitchen, Youngjae is sitting at the table with his laptop, but looks up at Jaebum expectantly when he comes in.

“He still won’t come out?”

Jaebum shakes his head, sitting down at the table with another heavy sigh. “I guess he needs more time.”

Youngjae crosses his arms and stares pensively at his laptop. “Maybe you should go in and check on him anyway? Jinyoung hyung isn’t really the type that can be left alone in that state for too long.”

“That’s true, but…” Jaebum purses his lips, skeptical. “What if I upset him?”

“He’s already upset. And you know him the best,” Youngjae points out. “What I’m saying is, it’s probably better to at least try.”

Jaebum considers it. He supposes there’s some merit to trying, and it’s a lot better than more sitting on his hands. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I’m always right, hyung.” Youngjae smiles and goes back to typing on his laptop, and Jaebum heads back up the stairs. This time, he only knocks once before calling out.

“Jinyoungie, I’m coming in.”

When Jaebum cracks opens the door, Jinyoung is sitting on his futon with his knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around them, staring out the window in silence.

“Jinyoung-ah,” Jaebum tries as he approaches. “Can I sit with you?”

Jinyoung doesn’t turn to look at him, but his head bobs slightly in a way that Jaebum thinks might be a nod, so he sits on the futon next to him. The setting sun illuminates his features only subtly, though it’s still obvious he’s been crying most of the day.

“I’m sorry,” Jaebum says, after a few moments. “I shouldn’t have dropped all of that on you when you were already upset over your memories.”

At last, Jinyoung glances over at him, shakes his head. “No, you did the right thing. I just…”

He trails off, sighs instead. “I don’t know anymore.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Jinyoung frowns, burying his face in his arms. “In my dream, those doctors… they said I was defective,” he murmurs. “I was developed to be part of some type of experiment. But I was a failure.”

“Hey.” Jaebum scoots closer to Jinyoung, putting his hand on his shoulder. “Nothing about you is defective, okay? I’ve seen all types of androids and humans, and you’re perfectly fine, trust me.”

“I…” Jinyoung hesitates. He’s staring at Jaebum like he wants to believe him, but is still too unsure of himself. “I was almost definitely made by JYP Industries, right? Whatever purpose I was intended for, I wasn’t good enough…”

“You’re good enough for me. That’s all that matters,” Jaebum says firmly, tugging Jinyoung so that they’re facing each other on the futon. Jinyoung’s limbs finally relax a little, and he shifts so that he’s sitting with his legs to the side instead of balled up to his chest. Jaebum reaches out tentatively, resting his hand on the side of Jinyoung’s face.

“Not just me, but Youngjae and Yugyeom, Mark and Jackson and Bambam too,” he reminds him. “Screw JYP, they don’t know anything if they thought you were defective.”

“Jaebum…”

Jinyoung’s eyes are a little watery, but he’s smiling faintly as he reaches up to cover Jaebum’s hand with his own, and Jaebum’s heart does a somersault inside his chest.

“I don’t care how or why you got here, I’m just happy you did,” he says softly, because it’s true, it’s always been true, ever since the very first time he saw Jinyoung smile. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

By now there are real tears on Jinyoung’s face, but his smile is real too, and his cheeks are flushed a slight pink. He looks so perfect that Jaebum can't help but smile back as they both lean in towards each other, and their lips brush only tentatively at first. Jinyoung pulls Jaebum closer and they kiss again, soft and bittersweet, but then Jinyoung backs away as suddenly as they came together, his eyes wide in shock and confusion.

“I… remember. Oh god, I remembered everything,” he stammers, turning away from Jaebum, whose head is still spinning too hard for him to fully understand what’s happening.

“Huh…?”

“I can’t… I’m sorry.”

Jinyoung pushes himself off the futon, and before Jaebum can stop him, or even ask what’s wrong, Jinyoung bolts out of the room and down the stairs.

“Jinyoung…?!” Jaebum hurries after him, and though he considers himself a pretty fast runner Jinyoung is much quicker—another upgrade? In any case, he meets a bewildered Youngjae near the shop entrance when he finally gets down there.

“Did you see which way he went?” he pants, and Youngjae shakes his head, clearly as bewildered as Jaebum.

“N-No, I just saw him go flying past all of the sudden. What the heck happened, hyung?!” Youngjae asks, but Jaebum doesn’t have time to answer as he speeds out the door again.

No matter what, he has to get Jinyoung back. He doesn’t know what he remembered, but it doesn’t change anything. It won’t change anything between them, and Jaebum will run after Jinyoung as long as it takes to prove it.

 

\--

 

Even if it was for only the briefest of moments, the world seemed perfect, everything that Jinyoung ever wanted and more.

Then, like some type of spell had been lifted, all of Jinyoung’s memories came flooding back in a single rush—how he’d been developed by JYP Industries as part of a top secret and illegal experiment, and how he was intended to become an immortal, superhuman “vessel” for the CEO's consciousness in the inevitable event that he grew old or sick.

The Junior Project, as it was called, had no use for models with irreversible programming errors. Regrettably, the engineers had said, an overwrite wasn’t possible without irreversibly damaging the system, and wiping and recycling of hardware was necessary in the event a model developed self-awareness as a result of the software errors. Let's not waste resources, they had all said, and shut him down, shipping him off to a special disposal facility to see what parts could be wiped clean or otherwise 'salvaged.' His backup power kicked in somehow upon arrival, and he convinced the manager who was processing the matter to help him escape, but soon after they left all his systems shorted out.

And the next time he woke up…

Jinyoung stops running, realizes too late that the reactivation of his memories is linked to the activation of a signal broadcast from one of his specialized prototype drives. The previously unused drive had been lying dormant along with his memory bank, but was in fact designed for the purpose of alerting JYP agents when company property is out-of-bounds. It’s dark and raining outside, and he’s in an alleyway in a less populated area of town, but a handful of security agents in suits are closing in on his location already.

A hand grabs his wrist, and Jinyoung immediately knows it's not human because the grip strength is almost a match for his. He manages to shake off the first android, but soon backup shows up, cutting off the exits, bio-scanning him to confirm his identity as a JYP prototype and calling up a vehicle facilitating his return to headquarters for further investigation.

“Stop, I don’t want to go,” Jinyoung protests weakly as he shoves the next one who makes a grab athim  to the ground. He thinks he’s almost got a way out when he hears a familiar voice shouting from behind him.

“Hey, let go of me! Who the hell are you?!”

Jaebum has caught up with him, and is attempting to get away from a couple of the androids, who apparently have identified him as a threat already. Jinyoung’s throat goes dry as he realizes what could happen to Jaebum, to everyone, if they get involved in all of this.

_Jaebum, I’m sorry._

Jinyoung stops struggling, turns to face the nearest JYP agent.

“That human has nothing to do with me. I’ll turn myself in if you stop causing a scene,” he says, as evenly as possible.

“The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we’ll clear out,” the agent replies just as evenly.

“Jinyoung…?” Jaebum blinks, jaw slack with disbelief, and even though Jinyoung’s doing this to save him it feels like a knife’s being twisted in his chest.

“Let’s go, then. I’ll cooperate,” Jinyoung says quickly, allowing them to escort him over to the JYP-owned van before he can think better of it and getting inside.

He shuts his eyes tight as the door slams, willing himself to not look at Jaebum’s face in the mirror as the van pulls away. But it doesn’t help when he hears Jaebum’s voice calling after him, desperate and hurt, until it fades into nothing but the sound of the van’s engine and rain falling steadily on the windshield.


	6. Chapter 6

“Hyung! Jaebum hyung!”

Youngjae’s hands are shaking Jaebum’s shoulders, but it seems like his voice is coming from very far away. He vaguely realizes that they are in the rain, that he is still crumpled to the ground after unsuccessfully trying to chase the JYP van carrying Jinyoung.  Jinyoung, who had turned himself in so that Jaebum wouldn’t get involved.

Stupid, Jaebum thinks to himself. Like I’m just going to give up on you because you turned yourself in, you idiot.

“Yugyeom-ah, help me out here,” comes Youngjae’s faraway voice again, and this time large hands are pulling him to his feet. Then, without warning, Youngjae actually, physically slaps him across the face. Not very hard or anything, but at least Jaebum feels like his feet are back on the ground again.

“Youngjae…? Yugyeom…?” He glances between the two of them, rubbing his face bewilderedly.

Yugyeom looks scared out of his wits, holding an umbrella over himself and Youngjae, who seems equally as shocked at his own actions.

“S... snap out of it already, hyung!” Youngjae says, shaking his head once he recovers. “I already called Mark hyung and everyone. They’re coming over to the shop right now, so let’s hurry and go back.”

“R… right.” Jaebum blinks, then nods. He pats Youngjae’s shoulder as they head back to the shop, more than a little proud.

“You’re really grown up now, you know that?”

At first Youngjae merely blinks at him, then shakes his head again. “O-of course I do.”

**\--**

 

When they get back to the shop, Mark, Jackson and Bambam are already there. Mark and Bambam are reading something on his laptop, and Jackson has to be fetched from the practice studio, where he had apparently reverted back to his pre-dance crew days and started brushing up on fencing drills.

“Well? Are we gonna go save Jinyoung yet?” Jackson asks as soon as he comes up the stairs, sabre in hand and practically vibrating with even more nervous energy than usual.

“Plan first, dramatic rescue second, hyung,” Youngjae reminds Jackson before Jaebum can get to it, so he turns to Mark instead.

“Mark, what have you got for me?”

“When we first started investigating, I got in contact a while back with a few people who used to work at JYP,” Mark explains as he brings up a blueprint of JYP headquarters on his laptop’s hologram projector. “I explained the situation to them and got some leads, but we’ll have to break in there and hack the system ourselves if we want to get much farther.”

“Right.” Jaebum cracks his knuckles, pulling out his own holo-display and quickly inputting all six of their names on it. “So, here’s what I think about how we should divide up the work…”

 

\--

 

The first phase of ‘Operation Rescue Jinyoung and Stick it to _The Man_ ’ (as Jackson insists on calling it) goes almost too smoothly.

Getting to HQ without drawing attention proves easy with the help of the cover of night, Mark’s contacts, plus a real time aerial map of the area courtesy of Youngjae hacking into a satellite feed. After that, it’s only a matter of knocking out the two security guards posted before either of them can alert anyone else.

“This is too easy,” Jackson confirms triumphantly as he relieves one of the freshly-incapacitated security guards at the northern (and most vulnerable, according to Youngjae) entrance of his more useful-looking possessions.

“Only because I didn’t give them time to know what hit them, but we only have a few hours before their shift changes,” Mark reminds him, though he thinks Jackson’s attitude is good for morale at least.

“We’ll need less time than that to save Jinyoung,” Jackson says with a cocky grin, testing the weight of the security guard’s baton and taser in his hand.

“Less talking, more moving. We don’t know exactly how many people are around until Youngjae can access all of their camera feeds,” Jaebum reminds them both through his earpiece. He’s on the other side of the perimeter, making sure Bambam and Yugyeom get to their positions safely before doubling back to meet up with Jackson and Mark for the main portion of the break-in.

“According to the blueprint, there should be a cargo elevator on your left at the end of the hallway if you go through those double doors,” Youngjae’s voice comes through their earpieces. He’s set up in the van parked outside HQ and responsible for being their navigator and hacking the security system, both of which are absolutely crucial to say the least, but if he’s nervous at all he doesn’t sound like it.

Jaebum catches up to Mark and Jackson just as they climb onto the cargo elevator.

“So you two will help Youngjae get into their servers as soon as Bambam and Yugyeom start the diversion,” he reminds them. “And I’ll go ahead to the lab where they’re keeping Jinyoung once Youngjae can locate him using the security system.”

Mark nods. “That’s the plan.”

“You sure you’re gonna be okay on your own, hyung?” Jackson frowns.

“I’ll call you guys if I need help, don’t worry,” Jaebum assures him, though both Mark and Jackson still stare at him doubtfully.

“I dunno if you’ll need this, but take it.” Jackson hands Jaebum the weapons he collected off the security guard, before pointing to the long, thin case strapped to his back. “I brought my sabre with me, so I’m more than fine.”

“Of course you are,” Jaebum laughs, before turning to Mark. “What about you, Mark?”

“I’ve got it,” Mark shrugs. He has a taser and a baton strapped to his belt just in case, but he probably won’t need them—with years of practice in martial arts in addition to familiarity with weak points in both humans and androids, Mark figures the security guards earlier were proof that he hadn’t gotten _too_ rusty at fighting.

“Reminds me a little of the scrapes we used to get into,” Jaebum remarks as the elevator stops, clearly thinking the same thing as Mark.

“This is Mark hyung and Jackson hyung’s stop,” Youngjae says through the earpiece. “The servers are kept under lockdown on the floor below, but the stairwell should be no problem to get through from that level. Jaebum hyung, you’re going up again and hiding in the 7th floor storeroom until I have control of the system.”

Mark and Jackson step off the elevator. Before the doors close, they both turn and salute Jaebum.

“You guys both better come back in one piece,” Jackson says, and if Mark didn’t know any better he’d think Jackson of all people was actually a little nervous.

Jaebum smiles wryly and returns the salute. “Same for you two.”

He watches the elevator doors close, and even though Mark knows Jaebum can handle himself, it takes Jackson smacking him lightly on the shoulder for him to regain his focus.

The two of them make their way quietly down the hallway, keeping their eyes out for anyone around. Mark stops the two of them before they round the next corner—they’re almost at the server rooms, but there’s also definitely a security patrol up ahead, probably androids.

“Alright hyung, ready to start some trouble?” Jackson says under his breath, winking and grinning as excitedly as if they’re about to go on stage for a performance, and not risking arrest or worse in some dystopian maze pretending to be a corporate building.

Mark can’t help but grin back a little anyway. The adrenaline rush is undoubtedly the same, and more importantly, Jackson still has his back.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

 

\--

 

Yugyeom thought he was doing the sensible thing when he volunteered to help create the diversion. Youngjae was the obvious choice for control center, Mark’s combat and technical skills were needed to lead the server room team, and while Jackson’s personality was the opposite of stealthy, his style of fighting was much quieter than either Yugyeom’s or Bambam’s, so that was that. But Jaebum wouldn’t quit the overprotective dad act, right up onto insisting he go with Yugyeom and Bambam to their starting positions.

“Hyung, it’s fine. We probably won’t have to fight, we’ll just be running most of the time,” Bambam says cheerfully as they creep around the edge of the building. “Worse comes to worse, Gyeommie can just pick me up and we’ll go flying out the window!”

“How reassuring,” Jaebum says dryly, even though he’s the one who found ways to secretly push Yugyeom’s shock absorbing, speed, and strength capabilities above the technical legal limits for androids when he customized him, as well as giving him another quick boost in preparation for the rescue. They’d probably be fine. If he stuck the landing, anyway…

“Hey, you okay?” Jaebum’s voice drags Yugyeom back to reality, and he rolls his eyes like he was paying attention all along.

“Yeah, just going over the plan again in my head,” Yugyeom lies. He knows what he’s supposed to do anyway. Though JYP has fairly heavy security for a night patrol, it’s not like they’ll have every last scientist chasing them down when it comes down to it. It’ll probably be fine.

“Bambam, you keep an eye on him for me,” Jaebum says to Bambam as they reach the point on the perimeter Youngjae directed them to. “Make sure he doesn’t go too crazy.”

“You got it, JB hyung,” Bambam grins, giving him the thumbs up. “Bring back Jinyoung hyung quickly, okay?”

“I’m not a little kid or anything, hyung,” Yugyeom complains, but Jaebum only reaches up and ruffles his hair.

“You’re a kid to me,” he insists, and Yugyeom makes a face at him.

“Go get Jinyoung hyung already. We’ve got this.”

Yugyeom and Bambam wave as Jaebum leaves. As soon as he’s gone, Bambam holds up the small explosives in his pocket with an eager grin.

“Not yet, Bambam,” comes Youngjae’s voice through their earpieces at that exact moment, almost like he’s a mind reader. Not that Yugyeom would be surprised if he could, a little bit.

“I’m pretty sure you’re the one who needs to not go crazy,” he tells Bambam as they follow Youngjae’s next directions, and Bambam doesn’t deny it in the slightest.

 

 

The next parts of the plan go fairly well, all things considered—the explosions he and Bambam set blow the power for a short time, enough for Mark and Jackson to get into the server room before the backup kicks in. After that, it’s only a matter of keeping security occupied while Mark and Youngjae hack the system so Jaebum can get to Jinyoung.

Yugyeom thinks everything might actually go according to plan until they’re running up the stairwell from an android patrol group and Bambam suddenly lets out a yell as he trips and falls over.

“Bambam…!”

Yugyeom whips around, screeches to a halt. His bio-scanners know immediately that Bambam twisted his ankle when he fell, so he picks him up, throws him over his shoulder and runs faster, immensely grateful that Jaebum raised his parameters because apparently JYP did the same.

Still, it’s not long before Yugyeom can’t keep up sprinting speed any longer, but luckily Youngjae manages to hack into a secured door on one of the third floor storerooms for them to hide in.

“On your left!” comes Youngjae’s orders in his earpiece, and Yugyeom kicks the door open and barricades it shut. It’s only a matter of time until they’ll have to run again, but it’s better than being caught now.

“Are you okay?” He drops to his knees next to Bambam, who’s poking at his swollen ankle with a sullen look on his face.

“I really screwed up,” he says with a sigh. “Youngjae hyung can’t keep opening doors for us, he has to concentrate on finding Jinyoung hyung. I don’t know what to do next.”

“It’s… it’s not your fault,” Yugyeom says helplessly, though he knows they have to do _something_. He’s in the middle of wishing very badly that one of the hyungs were here with them when Bambam exclaims something in Thai and points to the opposite wall.

“A window! Why don’t we get out that way?” he suggests in Korean once he’s contained himself, and Yugyeom has a bad feeling as he goes over to check it out.

“Hmm…”

It looks like there used to be a small office there, since the windows are fairly large. Yugyeom shoves one open by brute force, and when he sticks the upper half of his body through the opening he’s sure they could both get out of it, but… the third floor seems a lot higher up than he originally thought. And he’d be carrying Bambam…

He goes back over to Bambam, who looks up at him with those huge eyes that Yugyeom forgot how to say no to, somewhere along the way. “You can do it, right?”

Yugyeom swallows, nods. An ordinary human could survive this fall if they were lucky, and he’s capable of more than that; it’ll be okay. As long as he doesn’t mess up, that is.

“Yeah. Do you trust me?” he asks, just to make sure as he scoops Bambam up in his arms, carries him towards the window.

“Of course I do, dummy.” Bambam wraps his arms around Yugyeom’s neck and buries his face in his chest, and Yugyeom feels his face grow warm despite the danger they’re in.

He gingerly lifts one leg over the window ledge, then the other, so that he’s sitting in the open window. The night breeze blows cool against his skin, but with Bambam in his arms it doesn’t feel so bad.

“Bambam-ah,” he says, voice trembling a little.

“Chickening out on me now?” Bambam sounds like he’s joking, but looks just as scared as Yugyeom feels.

Yugyeom shakes his head. There are noises from the other side of the room; they’re running out of time. He has to do it.

“Don’t go back to Thailand,” he says quietly, his grip around Bambam’s small frame tightening. “I love you, so… don’t go anywhere without me, okay?”

Bambam laughs softly despite everything, tilting his head up to kiss Yugyeom on the cheek. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Yugyeom smiles.

And then, they jump.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Jaebum’s part, for what seems like an eternity, involves nothing but waiting. Waiting and listening, hoping that the others are doing alright based on what they’re reporting over their earpieces.

The power goes out the first time and he waits again, knowing that Yugyeom and Bambam are doing their part, and after the power goes back on, Youngjae finally contacts him.

“Okay Jaebum hyung, we’re in. The labs are a little ways from here, but start by heading to your right,” Youngjae directs him immediately. There’s no time to waste, so he’s pointing Jaebum towards the labs while simultaneously checking for Jinyoung. Jaebum keeps moving, the hallways eerily dark and quiet even after the power came back on.

“Found him. He’s in the lab at the very end of the hallway,” Youngjae says, just in time, and Mark chimes in, “Got the security code. Jackson and I are heading up now.”

Jaebum successfully opens the door, peering in cautiously. The lab seems empty, just a row of metal work tables and large tank-like structures along the wall, but then he spots Jinyoung strapped to one of the work tables on the far side of the room.

 “Guys, I found him,” Jaebum says into his earpiece, rushing over and checking him over for any damage. He still looks intact, thankfully, so he goes to work undoing the buckles strapping him to the table.

“Be careful, hyung,” Youngjae warns him, but it’s too late. Jinyoung’s eyes fly open, but they’re blank, soulless.

“No.” Jaebum takes a step back. “Jinyoung…”

“…Unauthorized human inside the facility after hours.”

Jinyoung gets up, except for it isn’t Jinyoung at all, just his voice, flat and mechanical as he moves swiftly to produce a weapon, some type of prototype particle gun by the looks of it, from the table next to him.

“Security, this is Subject 0922, location Laboratory 4. Permission to apprehend trespasser,” Jinyoung speaks into a communicator, before pointing the gun directly at Jaebum.

“Jinyoung, don’t,” Jaebum says, putting his hands up. “I’m not going to fight you.”

“Resistance is not recommended,” Jinyoung says blandly. “Security protocols require I use as much force as necessary.”

“This isn’t who you are, Jinyoungie. You don’t remember me at all…?”

Jaebum takes a step forward, and Jinyoung fires the gun. It misses narrowly, hitting one of the tanks behind him instead with an ominous crackling noise.

“Shoot me if that’s what you really want.” Undeterred, Jaebum takes a deep breath, willing himself to stare Jinyoung in the face. “I’m yours, Jinyoung. I always have been.”

There’s a pause. Jaebum realizes Jinyoung missed because his hand is wavering ever so slightly. Jinyoung narrows his eyes at him, almost as if he's in pain.

“My facial recognition database… this must be an error,” he says, slowly. “It is implausible that an unauthorized human would…”

“It’s not impossible. We were together, every day, for months.” Jaebum doesn’t back down. “You and me, plus Youngjae, Yugyeom, Bambam, Mark and Jackson… the seven of us, together. You’re one of us, not some JYP drone.”

“I…” Jinyoung hesitates again, shuts his eyes. “I don’t…”

Youngjae’s voice crackles suddenly on the earpiece.

“Hyung! You have to get out of there, now!”

Whatever was inside the huge tank that Jinyoung’s shots had hit earlier had slowly become destabilized, causing the metal casing to bend out of shape. Jaebum hears a loud bang as the final bolts keeping it secured to the wall come loose.

“No…!”

It happens in an instant. The tank comes crashing down on top of Jaebum, but before Jaebum can react Jinyoung throws himself over Jaebum’s body, shielding him from the impact. There’s a deafening crash as the tank hits the floor, and Jinyoung collapses as whatever substance was inside it begins to leak out into the room. Jaebum is only vaguely aware of Mark and Jackson running towards them, dragging them both out of the room as it fills with the spilled chemicals.

They make it to the outside just in time; there’s light from the flames and toxic-looking smoke leaking out of the building by the time they reach the van.

Tears are already running down Jackson’s face as he gently hands Jinyoung over to Jaebum. The damage from the impact should have shorted out all his systems, but when Jaebum pulls him into his arms his eyes flutter open.

“Jinyoungie…”

“You’re okay… that’s good.” Jinyoung smiles up at him, squeezing Jaebum’s hand in his.

“Idiot,” is all Jaebum can manage, even though there are so many things he still wants to, needs to say to him.

“I’m glad I remembered you.” Jinyoung’s voice is terribly faint, and it’s a wonder he can even speak at all. “I… wanted to see you again, so much.”

“I’ll fix you up, and we’ll be together all the time again,” Jaebum promises him. “I’ll fix everything again, so just wait for me.”

“Okay.” Jinyoung’s still smiling, but his grip on Jaebum’s hand is growing weaker as he loses power. “You promised, so… I’ll wait.”

Jinyoung’s eyes close again after that, his systems finally shutting down completely. He’s not gone forever, Jaebum knows, they all know, but no one says anything for the rest of the drive back to the shop. Yugyeom and Jackson sob openly while Bambam tries to comfort them, Youngjae sniffles into his sleeve, and Mark cries so much he eventually has to pull over and hand over the wheel to Youngjae.

Jaebum doesn’t shed even a single tear. He only stares at Jinyoung’s face, stroking it almost idly with his hand until they finally arrive, and even after that he stays in the lab with him, not letting him out of his sight for even a moment as he plans out the repairs.

After a while Mark comes down to the lab and puts a blanket around Jaebum’s shoulders, before sitting down next to him. His face is solemn, eyes rimmed with red as he rests a hand on Jinyoung’s hair.

“What happens if his memory’s gone again…?” he says, then shakes his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s alright,” Jaebum tells him. No matter what happens, the answer will always be the same, will always be Jinyoung, and really, Jaebum’s always been too stubborn to give up on anything he sets his heart on.

He knows Mark knows this too, so of course Mark only smiles and pats Jaebum on the shoulder before heading to the door.

“We’re all gonna make sure you stop to eat and sleep at least a little, you know,” Mark warns him before he leaves.

“Heh, I’ll keep that in mind.” Jaebum grins and waves at Mark as he leaves.

Once he’s alone again, he takes a deep breath. Then, he queues up some of his favorite songs over the speakers, rolls up his sleeves, and goes to work.

 

\--

 

Jinyoung isn’t afraid when he feels his power shutting down. Jaebum fixed him before, and he knows he can do it again.

He only hopes it won’t take _too_ long, but at least the wait will be like sleeping. His eyes close, and for an eternity, or maybe only a moment, there’s only silence and an ocean of emptiness.

And then, just like the first time, it’s Jaebum’s voice that calls him back to the surface.

“Jinyoung? Can you hear me?”

He opens his eyes.

“Jaebum…?”

Jaebum is holding his hand, and with him are all of their friends—Youngjae and Mark hovering behind Jaebum, Jackson bouncing up and down, Yugyeom with his arms wrapped around Bambam’s shoulders. They’re all smiling with relief and happiness, and thankfully no one looks years older. There's a chorus of "Jinyoung!" and "Jinyoungie hyung!" and "How do you feel?", and even though Jinyoung is too dazed to process it all at first, he nods and smiles back at them all.

"I think I'm okay, thanks everyone." He sighs with relief seeing everyone so lively, before looking back up at Jaebum. “How long did it take?”

“One month, two weeks, and six hours. You’re really a pain, you know that?” Jaebum squeezes Jinyoung’s hand and pulls him so he’s sitting up, even though Jinyoung has to hold onto Jaebum to stay upright. He feels himself flushing when the others all start rolling their eyes and making fake barfing noises, but when Jaebum wraps his arms around him he supposes it’s worth it.

“We’ll have to work on your motor skills again,” Jaebum notes, and Jackson throws his hands up in the air.

“Okay, that’s it. Jinyoung’s back, hooray! Now I’m getting out of here before this gets any more mushy,” he announces, and the others murmur in agreement and follow him out of the lab, off to mess around in the studio or maybe to raid the kitchen. It doesn’t really matter, as long as Jaebum and Jinyoung are alone again, finally.

“I missed you.” Jinyoung rubs his nose against Jaebum’s, before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “Sorry for being a pain in the ass.”

“I don’t think you’re all that sorry.” Jaebum says derisively, but then he leans in and kisses Jinyoung back, long and slow and sweet. Jinyoung cards his fingers through Jaebum’s hair, drinks in the feeling of finally being held, being kissed by him, and if it feels like _he’s_ waited forever for this he can hardly imagine how long it feels to Jaebum.

When Jaebum finally pulls back, though, he’s smirking just a little. “Also, you’re _my_ pain in the ass.”

“Wow, cheesy.” Jinyoung returns the smirk, then giggles when Jaebum frowns at him. He’s back, he realizes. He’s really back, for good, for the rest of their lives.

Jaebum must be thinking the same thing, because after a moment, he tightens his arms around Jinyoung and buries his face in Jinyoung’s shoulder.

“Don’t ever do that again,” he murmurs into Jinyoung’s shirt, his voice barely above a whisper. “I love you.”

Jinyoung thinks he’s been doing well to not to cry up until now, but when he hugs Jaebum a few tears spill out despite himself.

“I love you too,” he whispers back, and the two of them just sit there like that for a long time, holding each other.

Just like he did the very first night, eventually Jaebum carries Jinyoung up the stairs to his room—except it’s their room, now. And this time he slips under the covers with him, spooning him, their fingers threaded snugly together, his heartbeat thumping steadily, comfortingly, against Jinyoung’s back.

All is right in the world.

 

 

\--

 

 

Jinyoung learns a little later on that JYP Industries is no longer; it tanked in the markets after a mysterious building fire destroys much of their headquarters and rumors spread about it covering up the development of illegal prototypes (imagine that).

Soon after the company is bought out, the former JYP manager who rescued him visits the shop, offering to finally make good on his promise to send money for Jinyoung’s repairs, but of course Jaebum doesn’t accept it. Jinyoung is just glad he’s able to finally thank him in person.  As for his own ties to JYP, Youngjae and Mark were able to lift data on his prototype from the servers during the rescue, and working with that Jaebum removed all JYP-trademarked tracking programs and anything else that might be an issue in the future.

He also learns that Bambam successfully applied for a visa to stay longer in Korea, though he advises Jaebum against letting him move in to Yugyeom’s room, which Youngjae recently vacated in order to move in with Mark and Jackson. To his credit, Yugyeom seems happy enough with the fact that Bambam finally joined their dance crew. At some point in time the four of them even convince Jaebum to rejoin, and that’s how Jinyoung gets inevitably dragged into it as well. Eventually, they all get Youngjae to say he’ll _think_ about joining on two conditions: everyone helps him record for his composing projects, and Jackson stops trying to get Jinyoung to rap (even though Jinyoung is _great_ at rapping, thank you very much).

In any case, Jinyoung’s a lot busier now. So, he’s especially enjoying a rare peaceful moment in the early morning, petting the cat, making himself and Jaebum some morning coffee when Jaebum suddenly rushes into the kitchen and pulls him down the stairs and outside, insisting he has something to show him.

“I think you’ll appreciate it,” Jaebum snickers and elbows him a little, points up to the newly redesigned store sign, which now reads _JJ Project Repairs_ in bold blue lettering.

“How does it look? Do you like it?”

Jinyoung can’t help but laugh. The kids have been calling the shop that as a joke for ages now, but it seems they’ve finally officially embraced it. He elbows Jaebum back before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

“It’s perfect.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Also on [LJ](http://tacocatwrites.livejournal.com/tag/jjp%20android%20au). Title is from the Cobra Starship song. All psuedoscience stuff is 100% made up, probably illogical, and not based on reality.  
> This is my first real multi-chaptered work, thank you for reading until the end!  
> psst follow my [art twitter](https://twitter.com/takatsudon_art)


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